Manchester City Academy
The partnership between Manchester City’s Academy and St Bede’s College began in 2011-2012 and has strengthened over more than ten years.
Currently, 63 St Bede’s pupils from Manchester City’s Academy are on the Full Time Training Model (FTTM), part of the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). The EPPP is a long-term strategy aimed at developing more and better home-grown players, balancing education and elite training.
About the Partnership
St Bede’s pupils on the FTTM are fully integrated into College life and study alongside all other Bedian pupils. All Academy pupils sit the same Entrance Examinations and have an Entrance Interview before joining tutor groups and classes with other Bedian pupils.
However, they do follow a modified timetable to incorporate academic progress alongside the demands of elite training. All Academy pupils study eight GCSEs in L5 and U5 (U15s and U16s) and the progress of each student is monitored every six weeks and shared with Manchester City and the Premier League.
Daily Schedule
Academy pupils in U3 to U4 (U12s to U14s) attend full College days on Mondays and Wednesdays. The pupils attend school in the morning on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays before training in the afternoon at the nearby City Football Academy.
Pupils in L5 and U5 (U15s and U16s) attend full College days on Mondays and Wednesdays and a half day on Tuesdays and Fridays. They attend education sessions, taught by St Bede’s College teachers, in classrooms at City Football Academy on Thursdays which is embedded around training.
Academic & Pastoral Support
Mr Charlie Woan, Assistant Headteacher, leads and manages the education of the Full Time Training Model. He is a conduit between the College and the club and works very closely with the Head of Education at Manchester City. The Academy staff team includes Miss Claire Whitney and Academy Student Support Teachers Mr Craig Kopczak, Miss Claudia Callum, Mr Liam McConnell and Mrs Amina Vally who support in lessons at the College and deliver lessons at CFA.
Internationals
There have been over 100 pupils who have achieved international call ups for U15, U16 or U17 age groups whilst at St Bede’s College and beyond. Pupils who attend international camps, fixtures or tournaments are provided with compensatory learning which is managed by each nation’s education departments so academic progress is not affected by sporting success.
Jadon Sancho (aged 18) and Phil Foden (aged 20) have made their full international debuts with England. Matt Smith (aged 18) is a full international for Wales and Shea Charles has represented Northern Ireland (aged 18). Lukas (aged 22) and Felix Nmecha (aged 22) are full internationals for Germany having previously represented both Germany and England at U21. Alex Robertson (aged 19) made his International debut for Australia and Joel Latibeaudiere made his debut for Jamaica (aged 22) having both represented England at youth levels.
Graduates
Fifteen graduates from the Full Time Training Model have represented the Manchester City first team. There have been over sixty pupils making professional debuts at other clubs or whilst on loan and there are over fifty pupils who are still in the U18-U23 Academy system.
Manchester City Bedian Debutants
Phil Foden | Tosin Adarabioyo | Cameron Humphries | Lukas Nmecha | Tom Dele-Bashiru | Tommy Doyle | Taylor Harwood-Bellis | Felix Nmecha | Cole Palmer | Finlay Burns | CJ Egan-Riley | Luke Mbete | James McAtee | Rico Lewis | Shea Charles
Bedian Debutants
Education Projects
Academy pupils take part in Premier League projects throughout the academic year which mark events such as Black History Month and Holocaust Memorial Day as well as other contemporary issues led by the College. Annually, Academy pupils research the achievements of the Black community and also the contribution Black players have made to Manchester City’s history.
Stan Horne (Manchester City’s first black player) and Alex Williams MBE (Manchester City’s first black Goalkeeper) have both visited St Bede’s College to speak to pupils as part of the Premier League’s Trailblazers project. Academy pupils have also taken part in a Podcast discussing their research project looking at all of the black players to have played for the club which include Bedians Tosin Adarabioyo, Cameron Humphreys, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Lukas Nmecha, Felix Nmecha, CJ Egan-Riley and Luke Mbete.
Academy pupils study a series of lessons on the Holocaust in partnership with the Premier League and Holocaust Education Trust. The project culminates in meetings with a Holocaust Survivor which in recent years have been carried out remotely. Academy pupils have collaborated with their counterparts from Manchester United Academy to hear the testimonies of Steven Frank BEM and Joanna Millen BEM and ask questions about their experiences. Previously, two Academy pupils visited Auschwitz and Krakow in Poland as part of the Premier League’s annual memorial. The Academy pupils have also researched the careers and nationalities of Jewish Footballers.
Another Premier League project focuses on the Festive Truce of 1914 and culminates with friendly fixtures between U12 and U13 teams of Manchester City and Manchester United. Before kick-off, a minute’s silence is observed, and the Last Post played as a mark of respect to the servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedom of others. Wreathes representing City and United are laid at pitch side, whilst John McCrae’s In Flanders Field and Laurence Binyon’s Ode of Remembrance were read out by players from both clubs. At St Bede’s College, Academy students added their fingerprints to a giant poppy to mark the fallen soldiers from the club and the College.
‘Win as One’ EA Sports Advert
St Bede’s College pupils featured heavily in Phil Foden’s ‘Win As One’ EA Sports advertisement which tracked his rise to stardom from the eyes of his local community. The advert was filmed onsite at the College and also at other venues in Phil’s home town of Stockport.
St Bede’s College pupils were involved in filming at three different locations throughout the day which also included the pupils providing unscripted voice overs. The day began in front of the iconic Vaughan Building as pupils were filmed in St Bede’s College uniform playing a typical playground football game. Later in the day two other groups of pupils were filmed playing outside Stockport County’s Edgeley Park Stadium and also at Adswood Community Centre where Phil Foden was present and met St Bede’s staff and pupils. Mr Woan commented “This project was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We were initially approached to provide six students but we were able to offer our site as a venue and provide the opportunity for more than 20 pupils to be involved.”
